Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection

by Stephen Fry (Narrator), Washington Irving, M.R. James

As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio.

From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales of ghosts and ghouls, spirits and phantasms, spectres and apparitions. Listener discretion advised.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Ghosts, Ghost Stories

8 pages, Audible Audio

Published October 9, 2023

About the author

Stephen John Fry is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, poet, columnist, filmmaker, television personality and technophile. As one half of the Fry and Laurie double act with his comedy partner, Hugh Laurie, he has appeared in A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. He is also famous for his roles in Blackadder and Wilde, and as the host of QI. In addition to writing for stage, screen, television and radio he has contributed columns and articles for numerous newspapers and magazines, and has also written four successful novels and a series of memoirs.

See also Mrs. Stephen Fry as a pseudonym of the author.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's be honest. Stephen Fry could read/perform my utility bill and it would be a 5 star event. While I didn't love all the stories, they were so skillfully performed that I "5 star enjoyed" the collection and will listen again. Several of the stories I very much liked, and a couple were a bit "meh". I appreciated hearing the various authors. All stories, regardless of if I was enamored of the individual storylines or not, were excellently written and I will pursue other works by these writers. I especially enjoyed the last two of the collection.

[Gary K Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

My final rating is probably a bit slanted by my admiration of Stephen Fry 😀 but this is a wonderful collection of 19th century ghost stories brilliantly narrated by him. Had I run across them on my own they would have probably been in the 4 star variety… but the presentation and delivery matter a lot… and Fry makes them shine 👻. Full RTC

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Easily one of my favorite stories of the spooky tradition. And yes, it IS superior to the movies, with the minor exception of a certain dog named Snoopy.



Lost Hearts by M.R. James

No matter the age, the old always seem to want to consume the young. :)



Was It an Illusion? By Amelia B. Edwards

I know this is a classic, having read it many times in many anthologies, but it still holds up for the most part. The whole seeing visions, uncovering secrets, is seriously old-school. Just like this tale.



The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson

This is an old-time favorite for me. Robert Louis Stevenson really rocks a good story, novel, anything. Of course, when it comes to this particular profession, I LOVE the turnabout. :)


The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood

Little old ladies challenging a grown damn man to a battle of nerves. :) Muahahahaha



William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe

I'm a big fan of the doppelganger story, so this was a (repeated) treat for me. No spoilers, but if you haven't heard of Poe yet... shame on you.


The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell

The mystery takes the front row seat on this one. It has decent atmosphere, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the others in this collection, but I have to admit that Poltergeist spoiled me.


The Judge’s House by Bram Stoker

Fantastically creepy. Don't be fooled with Bram Stoker. He ain't no one-hit wonder. That rope... so delicious. Don't -- or can't -- sleep on this one. :)



I admit it, I re-read all of these primarily because Fry read them to me. But after getting through them all again, I'm just as happy to revisit all these classics. Totally worth it.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Stephen Fry narrates, every book or short story just gets better.

[Adrienne L · Rating 4 out of 5]

It probably goes without saying that Stephen Fry does a terrific job bringing these classic tales to life, although his "definitive collection" isn't my definitive collection. For example, his choices from among the works of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe aren't particular favorites of mine, and "The Open Door" by Charlotte Riddell is pretty dull when compared to a lot of other ghost stories from the period. But Fry reading favorites like "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Judge's House" made this a worthwhile listen, and his narration made me really appreciate how chilling the conclusion of "The Body Snatchers," a story I've read several times before, really is.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this a year or two ago and only now managed to read it. Better late than never though!

Stephen Fry is an international treasure and people who know me / my reviews already know that I'm a little fangirl of his. He has impeccable taste, amongst other things regarding everything literature. I therefore thoroughly trusted him to curate the best ghost stories he could find - and I was right.

Presented here are 8 spooky tales of ghosts, haunted places, doppelgängers, ghouls, and more. All of them taking place in foggy moors, rundown houses, ruins, dark woods etc.
I knew half of the authors represented here and had heard of another, but the others were entirely new to me so there was the added bonus of discovery that boosted my enjoyment.
Not that that was necessary for I already was having a grande ole time so to speak.

Every story selected was expertly narrated (Fry is EXCELLENT at bringing various characters to life like no other) and incredibly atmospheric and thus chilling. In addition, Fry also nicely introduced every story, giving conext and a slight "orientation" regarding what it is about. I quite liked that, too.

If you want to know what stories are included, just refer to my status updates as I posted one per story.

Just what the doctor had ordered for Halloween! 🎃👻

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding especially: Poe's 'William Wilson'; Charlotte Riddell’s 'Open Door'; and 'The Judge's House' by Stoker.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather fun for this time of the year. Unusually (for him) short though.

Mr Fry manages to give a few old tales a dust off and presents them wonderfully!

[Vincent Darlage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Fry did an excellent job telling these stories. I also liked the sound effects that were used to back up the telling of the stories. The sound effects never intruded, but were just there enough to bring the story just a bit more to life.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is so well-known that reviewing it seems superfluous. One thing to mention are the elements of folklore presented in this story, which add to the atmosphere immensely. I also like the element of doubt in the story. I enjoy this story every time I hear it.

"Lost Hearts" by MR James. Pretty darn good ghost story! Stephen is caught in a environment where vulnerable members of society are preyed upon by those with power with impunity. The victims have to avenge themselves because no one will help them.

"Was It An Illusion? A Parson's Story" by Amelia B. Edwards. A classically-constructed ghost story, with Gothic elements. It starts out with the character getting lost in a wild northern countryside, and, surprisingly, encountering ghosts quickly. No one else sees the ghosts (or admits to them), and the ending renders the experience both spooky and ironic.

"The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson was an excellent ghost story as well as a moral tale of defective conscience. The story gives a rather good analysis of degrees of guilt, the way men are socialized, the hypocrisies necessary to create worldly success, and the silences that hide behind geniality.

"The Empty House" by Algernon Blackwood was an interesting look at a haunted house. It was a carefully crafted tale of increasing tension, more overt in its haunting than some, but yet the horrors remained carefully hidden from view. I thought this a fine ghost story.

"William Wilson" by Edgar Allan Poe, one of the best stories about doppelgängers ever. It's also autobiographical in many ways, yet not a true story at all. It was inspired by a Washington Irving story... and Washington Irving wrote to Poe that he enjoyed this story. Wilson's double represents the conscience.

"The Open Door" by Charlotte Riddell, despite being written in Victorian times (1882), was not written in a particularly Gothic or hard to read style. Indeed, it was surprisingly plain-language. The ghost only appears right at the end, and is more of a help than a horror, although it certainly was frightening for the protagonist to see. The main character was a joy to read about. I got a kick out of this one.

"The Judge's House" by Bram Stoker. This story deals with self-isolation, self-reliance, and intellectual hubris, making them pitfalls. It's a case of a scientifically minded, self-reliant male hero vs a ghost - and in this case, the Holmesian-style character loses. The scene with the giant rat on the chair is always memorable to me.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this to end! So atmospheric <3

[Norma Christensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a little bit of a disappointment to me. The stories weren't very scary and all of a sudden he would say "The End". I guess scary movies are scarier than scary ghost stories.

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh, I love listening to Stephen Fry's narrating books - I have all seven HPs and listen to them religiously, so I was so excited to come across this ghost stories collection! These are apparently chosen by Fry and all due respect, but I think the selection could've been a bit better. That being said, that's the only 'negative' about this audiobook. I loved the introduction to each story, I loved the narration (obviously) and I'll definitely come back and listen to some of these again. My favourites - and I had read all of them before - are 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving (also the perfect opening story); 'The Lost Hearts' by M.R. James (one of my favourite M.R. James ever) and the closing story, 'The Judge's House' by Bram Stoker (that ending!).

[Ben Twomey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling collection made all the juicier by the combination of Stephen Fry’s relish as narrator, and a spine-tingling soundtrack to go with it.

I particularly loved Lonely Hearts (M.R. James), The Empty House (Algernon Blackwood) and The Judge’s House (Bram Stoker). Struggled through William Wilson (Edgar Allen Poe) but otherwise the stories all brought something new and frightening to the feast.

The whole thing made me want to light a fire and huddle close to its warmth and light. Exactly the primal instinct that good horror ought to elicit.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

These classic stories recall a simpler time when the very idea of a ghost was enough to terrify. Hate to hit you with some spoilers but 7/8 of these stories could be summed up as follows: the people hear tell of a ghost, the ghost is revealed, it is spooky but everything's fine, the end. Horror has come a long way in the last 150 years.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this Audible exclusive collection of ghost stories. With contemporary horror becoming more psychological and introspective, it's sometimes hard to find good old-fashioned ghost stories so I really appreciate this collection having all the spooks and things that go bump in the night.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much of the fun of this comes from hearing Stephen Fry tell the tales. His voice is wonderful and he is an expressive reader who obviously loves these old stories and is having a lot of fun telling them. I think the only one I had read before was "Sleepy Hollow", and it had been many years. My favorite was the final one, Bram Stoker's "The Judge's House."

[Neridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved listening to Fry narrating these classic ghost stories. Even if the plots themselves weren't too exciting, his narration creates a haunting atmosphere.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't go wrong with Stephen Fry reading almost anything. The short stories were a mixed bag, in my estimation, but even the ones I was least taken with were elevated by Fry's reading. I also discovered a few authors that I need to read more of, which is always a good take away to have from an anthology.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Stephen's narration, his performance is what made these stories fantastic! The ambient noises in the background were interesting. I listen to a lot of audio books at work and to suddenly hear a gun shot, scared the hell out of me! Over all, this is a great fall book to get in the spooky season mood.

[Matt B · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of truly classic 19th century ghost stories. This is an excellent collection perfectly narrated, as always, by Stephen Fry. This is also the only audiobook I've ever listened to that had sound effects I enjoyed. Usually I find it distracting or even irritating, but in this case the sound engineering was so well done it really helped bring these stories to life.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I purchase this on Amazon solely because it was narrated by Stephen Fry? You bet. He’s one of my favorite narrators of all time. There’s something about his voice that is incredibly soothing, something about his delivery that is cozy and instantly transportive. Additionally, I loved the thought of getting not only his narration, but his brief thoughts on each of these classic, spooky tales. I love his way with words almost as much as the way he says them, and I found his introductions to each story interesting and informative. This collection proved to be perfect for spooky season.

Not only is it an excellent narration of eight classic tales of horror, Fry and the audio producers took things a step further by adding in sound effects that really added to the experience. These effects were perfectly balanced, contributing greatly to the tone and mood without being so prominent as to distract. I wish more audio productions would follow suit.

Below are my brief thoughts on each story included in the collection. Know that, for all of them, the narration and sound design were top tier!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: 5 stars

This is the best known story of the lot, by a long shot, and is one of the few in the collection that I had read previously. I had forgotten how very tongue-in-cheek the entirety of the story is. The tone is absolutely delightful. Ichabod Crane is one of those literary characters who never fades. He’s so proud and self-important for no good reason, and those massive character flaws add so much to the story. I also adore the descriptions of food, as that is the subject nearest and dearest to Ichabod’s heart. These descriptions are equal parts delicious and over-the-top. As for the specter, well, everyone knows the Headless Horseman. He’s a visual that is evergreen in generations of fertile, easily spooked minds!

Lost Hearts by M.R. James: 4 stars

I have to confess, this story was far creepier than I expected for something first published in 1895. It begins with lovely, atmospheric descriptions of the setting, but it quickly takes a dark turn. I found it surprisingly dark and scary for the date in which it was penned. A huge, almost shocking departure in tone from the Irving story preceding it. I had never read anything by M.R. James before this story, but I plan to rectify that now.

Was It an Illusion? By Amelia B. Edwards: 3 stars

This story was serviceable. Adequate. Not bad. I just didn’t find it particularly engaging. I felt the entire thing could have been tightened just a touch. But I’m likely judging it too harshly for something written in 1881. It’s a solid, chilling little mystery, with just the right amount of spookiness for the collection. There’s an epistolary aspect to the story, which I always enjoy.

The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson: 5 stars

This story FELT like a spooky autumn night. You can tell it was dreamed up in the same mind that created The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There was a great, tense mystery here, and a lovely, eerie pacing to the unveiling of it. It’s a deeply troubling dive into peer pressure, morality, and being haunted by the decisions of your past. There is such a difference between the spiritual hope of resurrection and the disturbing truth of 'resurrection' in this story. It had a perfect ending, comprised of both a creeping dread and an abrupt reveal.

The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood: 4 stars

I really enjoyed Blackwood’s writing style. He is another author I was first introduced to through his inclusion in this collection. This story is rife with classic horror tropes, from the haunted house motif to the address of said house including the number 13. In some places, it felt vaguely reminiscent to The Haunting of Hill House in terms of tone and theme. This was one of the most unnerving of the stories, and the audio rendition actually startled me a couple of times with some really chilling screams in the sound effects. This felt like the epitome of a classic “ghost” story.

William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe: 5 stars

The only other story in the collection with which I already had a familiarity. There’s something about Poe’s writing that just really works for me. Not only is it darkly entertaining, it’s always thought-provoking. This was the most psychologically disturbing of the stories in the collection, and provided the most food for thought. Can you kill your conscience? Murder your morality? Who—or what—is William Wilson exactly? Is he real? A kind of twisted imaginary friend? Personified dark conscience? Madness? Who knows, but he always appears when the narrator is at his worst. It brought to mind a particular Bible verse, Numbers 32:23. To paraphrase, it says, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” There is also discourse on the importance of individual identity, and how disconcerting it is to have that identity infringed upon, its aspects assumed by another.

The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell: 5 stars

This was my favorite new-to-me story in the entire collection. Riddell imbued her narrator with such a fun voice. The tone was light, especially in the beginning, and had a Dickensian flair to it. This is part ghost story, part murder mystery, with the barest hint of a coming-of-age thread woven though it. I found our main character interesting and likable, if a bit full of himself. He was both too self-aware in some ways and not aware enough in others, but it was an accidentally charming blend. This story felt the most like a miniature novel, and was pretty near perfect in terms of pacing and voice and driving plot. I absolutely loved this one!

The Judge’s House by Bram Stoker: 3.5 stars

I can respect this story, and especially Stoker’s writing, but this was one of my least favorites. It was the darkest—and one of the scariest—stories. You could tell in the craft and the tone that it was penned by the same hand and from the same mind that gave the world Dracula. I found the demonic rat as a housing for an evil spirit really disconcerting. I did appreciate how the natural and the supernatural, using the same basic form, displayed a battle between good and evil, in a sense. But this story ended the collection on a dark, somber note, one that I wouldn’t have chosen for the finale. I can see why it was chosen, but it’s a choice I disagree with.

Across the board, this was a really solid collection of classic ghost stories. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy my time with Fry’s immersive voice, I was introduced to some new authors, authors I have heard of but have never experienced for myself. I can see myself revisiting this collection for many Halloweens to come!

[Hayden Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ by Washington Irving-
I’m old-fashioned, so I’m always in a ghosty mood around Christmas. Here Stephen Fry curates (and narrates) his favorite tales of specters and spirits, and the first story is America’s first ghost story. My favorite story of all time. Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. No matter how many times I’ve read or listened to it, I’ll never tire of it. The ambiguity makes it the perfect ghost story

‘Lost Hearts’ by M.R. James-
‘‘Rats talking in the wine cellar,’ indeed!” I’ve been wanting to dig into M.R. James’s ghost stories for a long time, and while listening to “Lost Hearts”, I kept asking myself if I had read it before, or if this *kind* or ghost story was just so familiar at this point. Long bad-guy exposition aside, the creepy long-nailed ghost children, moans from the woods, and general atmos are incredibly creepy!

‘Was it an Illusion?’ by Amelia B. Edwards-
A terrific, old-fashioned ghost story, with a compelling setup, setting, and mystery. I would love for Hammer Studios to have another life bringing these old Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories to life. They did such a great job with Susan Hill’s Woman and Black, I can just see Jared Harris walking around these things."

‘The Body Snatcher’ by Robert Louis Stevenson-
I’m a little familiar with “The Body Snatcher” as I just recently watched the Val Lewton-produced 1945 film starring Boris Karloff. It turns out to be a pretty loose adaptation, but man the core is there, and the core is solid. The story opens with basically the coziest setting you could imagine—guys sitting in tavern armchairs when a stranger walks in—and that ending is so damn atmospheric and suspenseful!"

‘The Empty House’ by Algernon Blackwood-
This is a terrifically effective haunted house creeper, with the most chilling moment coming at the end with something stalking the characters while they leave the house, too frightened to look behind them and see just what is following. One of my favorite aspects is that Blackwood, who I know from “The Willows”, ostensibly wrote a book about a guy and his cool aunt!"

‘William Wilson’ by Edgar Allan Poe-
“Stop copying me!”
Ghost stories are, at the end of the day, an oral tradition. Thus, the best of them are even better when spoken aloud. Kinda like poetry. And “William Wilson”, a tale of a man’s destructive obsession with his own perceived doppelgänger, sings with Fry’s narration. Poe always works better when read aloud, and this is another beautiful example.
“How utterly…thou hast murdered thyself…”

‘The Open Door’ by Charlotte Riddell-
This story is another mystery, and of course the mystery and the ghost story go so well together. Ghosts are, after all, the best kind of mystery there is. In this story we follow an easygoing loser who takes a job he’ll regret because he hates office work that much. Incredibly relatable protagonist. Unfortunately I couldn’t follow the mystery itself super well.

‘The Judge’s House’ by Bram Stoker-
An action-packed, legitimately horrifying short story that would’ve cemented Stoker as a great horror writer even if he hadn’t written Dracula. Ghosts and rats go hand-in-hand, and this one has terrific rat action.

[Amber Scaife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fry curates and then reads a collection of excellent classic ghost stories here, including Sleepy Hollow, an excellent tale from Poe about a scary doppelganger, a super-creepy Robert Louis Stevenson story about grave robbers, and even a haunted house one by Bram Stoker. And, of course, Fry narrating them is half the delight.

[Melanie Dirks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy everything read by Stephen Fry. He is an excellent narrator! He gets the reader immediately wrapped up in a story. This was a collection of eight stories and I had only read one of them before - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. My favorites ended up being Lost Hearts, The Body Snatcher, and The Judge’s House (whose ending broke my heart, poor kid). I definitely recommend listening to this, especially in October to get you in the Halloween mood.

[Valerie Phillips Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could listen to Stephen Fry all day and night. I actually listen to these stories to go to bed because his voice soothes me

[Liz Kittencat · Rating 5 out of 5]

100000 ✨✨ It's delightful!!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great narration by Stephen Fry. Just the right thing for a dark October night when the moon is full.

[Gail Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t go wrong with ghost stories narrated by Stephen Fry. Spine tingling audio experience complete with music and sound effects.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I wasn’t particularly scared by these stories (with the exception of Lost Hearts which genuinely freaked me out), Stephen Fry is always a joy to listen to.

[S.J Gathercole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow, but very typical of old school ghost stories. Very well read by Stephen Fry.